The Forbidden: A Huntress Novel (The Huntress Series Book 1) (14 page)

Chapter Fifteen

I had fallen in a sea of sorrow by the time I got home. I just wanted the pain and emptiness to go away. I wanted to go to room and surround myself in darkness but my growling stomach had other plans for me. I knew if I didn’t eat I would start to feel sick, so I made my way to the kitchen sulking the whole way. The smell of turkey blew in face as I entered the room.

Mrs. Wilson was standing on her toes reaching for a bowl in one of the blue cabinets. I flopped down on one of the seats at the breakfast bar pushing the bell birdcage chandelier that stood over top the counter. I watched as it rocked back and forth. This was the first time I had ever laid eyes on it, it must be new but I don’t remember anyone saying anything about replacing the previous one.

“What happened to the chandelier?”

Mrs. Wilson turned and set her gaze upon me. What once was a smile on her thin lips soon turned into a frown. “You’re pale.”

I gave a half-smile. “I’m fine, what happened?”

Her brows raised as she set a plate of golden brown biscuits on the counter next to the turkey and went to the refrigerator. She isn’t convinced that I’m fine, she raised me for crying out loud. She knows when I am lying.

“There was a fight between two of the hunters in training two days ago. They broke the chandelier so I had it replaced.”

“Oh.”

That is typical, up and coming reaper’s egos are way too big and they think they can beat anyone in sight. I’m not surprised at this news at all.

She sighed as she sat a glass of orange juice in front of me, then turned around to care for the food cooking on the stove. “I think you forget that I helped raise you and that I most certainly know when something is wrong.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I mumbled.

“Does this have anything to do about a boy?”

My brows pushed together as I looked away from my orange juice and into her concerned eyes.

I shrugged and exhaled. Jeez, how did she possibly figure that one out? Is there a certain look women give when they are depressed over a guy?

“You had a load of red roses delivered here, with a card that said I am sorry in every vase. I had them put up in your room.”

Great now I wanted to avoid going to my room so I wouldn’t have to look at the roses he sent.

“I don’t know what went on between you and your boyfriend, but he seems really sorry. He must like you a whole lot…maybe even love you because no guy would go through the trouble of sending as many roses as he did for their girlfriends.”

Forgiving him isn’t that simple, sending roses as an apology doesn’t make up for what he did to that girl.

“The roses don’t matter anymore because I broke it off with him.”

“Could I ask what happened?”     

“I think it’s better if you don’t know.”

“But you love him.”

My eyes widened at the thought of me loving him. I have all of these feelings that would say that I do love him…but I won’t admit it to myself. I don’t even have the guts to say it out loud.

“No way,” I shook my head as I grabbed a blue-berry muffin from the tray that sat on the counter and took a bite.

“Yes, you are. I can see it. You have fallen for him and if you didn’t love him then the break up wouldn’t have affected you. The fact that you are sitting here denying your feelings for this boy tells me a lot about how your relationship was like. I’m not surprised that your relationship with him is over, it seems as if you poisoned it because you have a wall up and you’re pushing him away and damn it I know you haven’t told him you loved him.”

I looked down as tears filled my eyes. It was true that I kept a wall up because I felt the need to protect myself. It’s not easy knowing that you are destined to be bound to a vampire. How am I able to just let him in so quickly when I was taught to hate them.

“I don’t mean to make you cry,” She said softy.

I shook my head. “It’s fine. I’m going to bed.”

I hopped off of the chair and walked out of the kitchen in a haste, wiping my eyes as I sniffled.

The front door swung open and Isaac came storming in the manor, slamming the door behind him. His deathly glare was directed at me and the reaper within me was on edge. His eyes were that of a tiger and his hands were fisted at his side as he panted in anger.

“Is there a problem?” I asked.

“You are the problem.”

He ran after me in super speed grabbing me by the neck and throwing me against the wall. My shoulder began to sting as the reaper in me made its appearance. I grabbed his shirt and pushed him away. He went flying across the foyer landing on top of the round table. He came crashing to the floor as the table tipped over and landed on top of him.

“So solve it then.”

He got to his feet, picked the table up and slammed it on the floor as pieces of wood flew everywhere.

Mrs. Wilson stepped in between the two of us. “Stop it now. Both of you calm down and put your reapers back where they belong!” She demanded.

“You attacked Cameron. You gave her a broken nose and a bruised jaw. It took hours for the swelling in her face to go own!”        

“I had nothing to do with her injuries!”

His eyes grew wide as his jaw tensed. “Liar!”

He pushed Mrs. Wilson out of the way and tackled me to the ground. His hands wrapped around my neck as he pushed his weight on me, depriving me of air. I wanted to give in and let him kill me. I wanted the pain to go away and Isaac could do that for me. There were two sides to me, the side that wanted to give up and the side that wanted to fight. There was a part of me—the broken part—that didn’t have the strength to fight him any longer. I didn’t feel like myself. I felt like all of the life was sucked out of me and there was no desire to protect myself from any harm. There was a dark side within me, the pain that I was feeling over Lucas was unwelcome and I wish I could take it away. Then there was the strong side—the hopeful part that knew the heartbreak wouldn’t last forever, therefore I couldn’t give in to the dark side.

I had to fight.

I tried to bring my knee up and hit his groin, but his body pinned me to the floor. My mouth fell open as I tried to gasp for air. My head fell into a dizzy spell and my eyesight blurred. He was relentless, like he was wild animal who had lost all control. I couldn’t breathe…I was powerless against him…and desperate.

I grabbed onto his hair and pushed his head back trying to stop him from killing me. An arrow flew past my face and stabbed into Isaac’s shoulder. He winced as he looked down at the arrow. I balled my fist and punched him in the jaw, his eyes squeezed shut as blood came spilling out of his mouth.

Taylor jumped from the staircase balcony and landed just above my head.

Isaac stood and yanked the arrow from his shoulder swinging the weapon at Taylor, but he managed to dodge the swing and punch him in the stomach.     

“Enough!” 

I jumped and looked up at my father and Mrs. Wilson who stood at the top of the staircase.

“I want all three of you in my office now!

“Sir, Athena had nothing to do with this.” Taylor said.

I looked at Taylor in surprise. “Taylor,” I whispered.

“I find that very hard to believe. You and Isaac come to my office.”

My dad gave one last look of disdain then stormed off.

Taylor turned to face Isaac; his fiery eyes could have burned holes in his skull.

“You could’ve killed her!”

“I wasn’t trying to kill her. I lost control!”

If I didn’t step in and distract Taylor I knew he would attack Isaac again. His temper was too flared to keep himself from losing control.

I grabbed Taylor by the arm, turning him around to face me. “You are not taking the blame for me.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“Yes, it is.”

He placed his hands on my shoulders. “Athena, you look pale, you don’t look so well and I don’t think you should have to endure your dad’s screaming at this moment.”

“Well, I’m not feeling that great.”

“All the more reason to go to your room and sleep it off…I will have Chels come check on you later.”

“Thanks.”

I ran up the staircase. I didn’t want to go to my room because the roses were in there and his gift would only deepen the pain I felt. I just wanted to escape the heartache of losing him and I knew that if I did go to my room I would be alone and being alone would only worsen the pain and I would soon be swallowed up in my sorrows. I needed to go somewhere—somewhere I would be distracted. Brody, I don’t know why, but I thought Brody. He felt like comfort and that was what I needed. I had to get over Lucas, I needed the heartache to go away…I needed a rebound.

I barged into Brody’s room not even bothering to knock before I entered. Brody was naked wrapped up in a towel drying his wet hair as he looked up in shock. His face fell as he took me in.

“Your eyes are red. You’ve been crying.”

“I’m fine. Kiss me.”

I closed the distance between us and reached for his towel but he grabbed my arms stopping me. “What happened,” He asked, his voice was soft but filled with worry.

I scowled down at the floor. “I need someone to help me forget.”

“Forget what?”

“It doesn’t matter…just please make me feel better,” I begged.

“But it won’t…it’s not right.”

He grabbed me by the shoulders and sat me down on his bed.

“Brody, after all of those times you flirted with me and the one time I actually am interested in having sex with you, you push me away. If you reject me, you will not get another chance.”

“You’re using me. You only want me because you think it will solve your issue, but it won’t, you will regret it.”

“That’s my problem, not yours. Do you want me or not?”

I could see a hint of longing in his eyes before he closed them. I knew that longing was for me. He shook his head and sighed as he struggled to make up his mind. Do the right thing, or give in to what I want. He did want me and now was the time to take the lead.

I stood up and placed a kiss on his neck.

He gasped as his eyes widened. “I want to, but…”

“Then don’t push me away…let it happen.”

He grabbed the zipper of my dress and pulled it down as he divested me of my clothing. I pulled his towel off as one of his arms wrapped around me pulling me against him as his free hand grasped my hair. I squeezed my eyes shut as his warm lips entwined with mine. Brody wasn’t the one I wanted, but he was what I thought I needed to steer me away from loving the enemy.

There was no desire, no lust, no passion for him, so I had to force myself to kiss him back.

He pushed me on the bed and laid on top of me, I wrapped my arms and legs around him as the weight of his body pressed me into the mattress. He smelled so good and in that moment I wished that Brody was my soul mate and I was in desperate need of his love that it pained me to be a part from him. He was so uncomplicated, and caring, and human that I would kill to have all of the feelings that I have felt for Lucas come rushing through me like a freight train. Unfortunately, I felt nothing.

He kissed me long and hard, his lips against mine were urgent and so desperate. Like he had longed to feel my lips against his own for an eternity.

His hands that slid across my skin, caressing me, were gentle but greedy as if they ached to feel me. I knew then that his crush on me was so much more than what I thought and I couldn’t go through with it. I had no intentions of being with him and if I were to use him just for sex he would grow even more attached to me than he already was. I had to protect him from that.

I pushed him away and sat up.

“What’s wrong?”

I searched his eyes. “Do you have feelings for me?”

His eyes widened slightly as his lips parted taking in a breath after being caught off guard. “I do, but I know you don’t feel the same.”

“I have to go.”

He grabbed the towel from the floor and covered himself. “Why, because I have more than just a crush on you?”

“Yes, and I have to make sure that you don’t get hurt.”

He ran his hand through his hair shaking his head. “How did you figure that out?”

“You kissed me with a passion that I have only ever felt with one person.” I stood from the bed and put my dress back on. “I’m sorry. I had no idea until now and If I would have been aware of it before then my coming onto you wouldn’t have happened.”

I hoped he wasn’t angry at me for practically being a tease. I wanted to make sure we were still okay as friends.

“Hey, we’re okay?”

“Yeah, were still friends, my crush on you will fade away some day. If I can’t have you, there are always other fish in the sea, right?”

I smiled half-heartedly. “Right,” But sometimes there’s always that one fish that you just can’t seem to swim away from.

I walked to room feeling even more crappier than I already did. I already regretted going to his room wanting sex to help soothe the pain when in reality burying myself in someone else to get over my soul mate doesn’t work.  It only left me wanting Lucas even more and it had left my heart drowning in blood from the stab wound his love had caused.